Brochures offer glimpse of Ko'olauloa
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Hawai'i Ecotourism Association has produced a set of brochures to help visitors and residents discover the history, special places and businesses in Windward communities.
But the brochures — titled Ke Ala Moa'e i The Tradewind Trail — are more than guides to a community, said Annette Kaohelaulii, president of Hawai'i Ecotourism Association. They are a way to give visitors a richer experience with residents and of bringing tourist dollars to an area without creating a massive infrastructure.
"Nobody wants a resort in their community anymore," Kaohelaulii said.
The guides for Ko'olauloa, which cover the communities of Kualoa/Ka'a'awa, Kahana, Punalu'u, Hau'ula, La'ie and Kahuku/Malaekahana, give historical and local information that community members wanted others to know, she said. An interviewer talked with about 200 people in Ko'olauloa.
The Punalu'u Community Association participated in the process, identifying people to talk to and points of interest, said Cathleen Mattoon, secretary of the association.
In reviewing the material the association was careful to not include sites that are special to families and the community.
"There are a lot more things in every community, but it's not necessarily something the community wants to share," Mattoon said. "We're not going to tell everybody where our heiau are."
But they are being told about beaches, parks, churches, fishponds and other sites.
MaryAnne Long, chairwoman of the Ko'olauloa Neighborhood Board, said the brochures highlight the distinctiveness of each community, are packed with information and show a sense of pride in the community.
"This is a chance to stop and really see the hidden Hawai'i," Long said.
Each brochure has a selections of sites to visit and a map. The guides also include local legends, words of caution and information about where to eat, shop, stay and find restrooms.
The brochures will be available at participating Windward businesses. Students at Brigham Young University-Hawai'i are designing a Web page that will include the brochures and will soon be posted on the association's Web site.
Money for the brochures was acquired through a $15,000 grant from the Hawai'i Tourism Authority. The brochures themselves are the brainchild of Bobbee Mills, who once worked for the Hawai'i Visitors Bureau and is now a member of Hawai'i Ecotourism Association.
Linda Cox, project coordinator, said the brochures will promote economic development and are an ice-breaker making it easier for tourists to begin conversations with residents.
More and more tourists are seeking these kinds of experiences, but they need a guide on how to behave in the community, said Cox, a community economic development specialist with the University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
"This is an attempt to help the community explain to the visitor that this is what we're about, this is what we can do for you and this is what you can do for us," she said.
